Feature Article October 16, 2003
LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb HomeCampaign Races Heat Up as Voting NearsMail-in voting in the municipal election begins as early as next week, and the races for Mayor in South and Central Frontenac are well underway, with the candidates taking different stances on some contentious issues. This week we look at South Frontenac and next week we will look at Central Frontenac and the race for Reeve in Addington Highlands.
Sydenham water, waste disposal, and lot size in South Frontenac
Its fair to say the front runners in the race for Mayor in South Frontenac are Bill Lake and Fran Willes, both of whom are sitting councillors. Stephen Beacock would have to be seen as a dark horse, and he was only able to attend two of the four All-Candidates meetings because of work commitments.
A major item that distinguishes the candidates is their views on the Sydenham water debacle that has dogged South Frontenac Council for several months, and may or may not persist as an issue for the new council. Fran Willes made it very clear that she opposes the Sydenham Water plant proposal, and she was the only councillor in the township who voted against it back on December 31, 2002. At one of the All-Candidates meetings, she said I will not vote for water; it will not solve the local problem. The province of Ontario has to get directly involved because it is a health issue.
Stephen Beacock was incited to run for Mayor because of the water issue, and he said the water plant proposal should be put on hold, and the people who are effected should be asked what they want to do.
Bill Lake is one of the most unapologetic supporters of the water treatment plant proposal. He said in 98 we said we should do something about Sydenham water, in 99 we said we should do something about Sydenham water, in 2000 we started talking about doing something, and in 2001 we started to do something, and finally in 2002 and 2003 we put together a plan. Only in the spring of this year did people start complaining about what we are doing. I stand for the future, not the narrow view.
At one meeting, two incumbent councillors, who voted in favour of the water bylaw and have stood silent while protesters have harangued council at successive meetings, said they thought the issue should have been handled differently, and an open process established for opinions to be aired between the public, the council, and the engineering company, but Bill Lake did not agree. He said the way the issue was handled was correct.
Bill Lake has also taken the position that the minimum lot size within South Frontenac should be one acre or 0.4 hectares, rather than the 2 acre minimum that is in the newly-enacted comprehensive zoning bylaw. I think the larger lots are ok for waterfront in most cases, but not for all lots in the township. Im against the one-size-fits-all approach. We should go with the experts; if the health unit and the Ministry of the Environment say a building lot can be put in somewhere, we should allow it, he said.
Fran Willes said she supports the lot size regulations within the comprehensive zoning bylaw.
Finally, on the matter of area rating, whereby each district of the townships maintains independent services in various areas, Fran Willes said the council has a meeting on the books to discuss the issue, but that meeting has not taken place and may not take place, but I dont think we can get rid of area rating completely until we are all at the same level of service.
Bill Lake said South Frontenac has to be area rated. The services are so different in the different districts and it will take a long time for some townships to catch up, so I cant see it changing for a long time.
